EDITOR’S CHOICE
AWARD
such a resolution for much. On the
other hand the Mini DP has enough
bandwidth to deliver 3840x2160
pixels at a more comfortable 60Hz.
In essence the Brix Pro is 4K content
ready regardless of which output
method you use.
HARDWARE
Usually with a normal PC the
hardware used along with the
performance (covered later) is what
matters the most. However, we
are dealing with something a little
different here because it offers a
flexibility that many similar systems
will not give you, but with that you get
a minimum performance level you can
be assured off. So then what makes
the Brix Pro tick? Well obviously as
the detailed model name suggests, it’s
powered by the INTEL Core i7 4770R
CPU. This is an embedded platform
CPU obviously and carries with it a
65W TDP. Instead of the 8MB cache
you would expect to find in the desktop
4770 you’ll find notice that the 4770R
only has 6MB. For the usage scenario
and context, this will make absolutely
no difference. For what is of real
concern or should be is the IGP which
is the real driver behind this machine,
at least where performance and
notable hardware is concerned.
Audio on the Brix Pro is an
embedded solution Realtek ALC269
codec which is certainly not to be
considered anything but low end. In
general the audio on the Brix Pro
could do with some improvement
but for what it is, it’s acceptable.
Its dynamic range is not going to
wow anyone, but none the less
if you’re looking for better audio
perhaps look at an external unit.
Given the dimensions of the system,
it is perfectly acceptable to have a
2-channel audio codec.
The LAN adapter is also courtesy of
Realtek (RTL8111G to be exact) which
once again is to be expected as we find
this LAN controller in many standard
low end ATX motherboards. It may not
have any traffic prioritization software
or at least any hardware traffic
control, but it does get the job done.
GIGABYTE states that the system
officially supports 1333/1600MHz
memory, but with the latest BIOS
you could use DRAM rated at up to
2133MHz. A few 1600MHz Kits will
make that speed without any voltage
adjustments, so there is some room
for overclocking. It isn’t much however
as there’s nothing in the BIOS that
allows adjustment of DRAM voltage
or DRAM timings for that matter. For
a system that is so power and heat
sensitive, it is sensible to not allow
voltage adjustments, but perhaps
being able to change the primary
timings on the DRAM would be useful.
The Brix Pro isn’t a perfect machine
and in particular the 4770R based
model that we tested for this feature.
The performance as such but it